PC Gamer 1/1994-12_-_Disc_1.iso/patches/qg4pat.zip/README

Text File | 1994-01-17 | 25KB | 655 lines

  Quest for Glory IV - Shadows of Darkness - PC Floppy Version
          Patch to Update to Version 1.1a
             January 10, 1993

INTRODUCTION

This diskette or archive file contains the necessary files
to update your copy of Quest for Glory from version 1.0, 1.0a
or 1.1 to version 1.1a.  This update corrects several problems
described below.

PLEASE NOTE:  IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES YOU
MAY HAVE ENCOUNTERED WITH THIS PROGRAM, IT WAS NECESSARY THAT WE
MAKE REVISIONS TO THE PROGRAM THAT WILL NOT ALLOW FOR THE USE OF
PREVIOUS SAVED GAMES.  WE SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR THIS INCONVENIENCE.

CONTENTS

This diskette or archive includes the following files:

     README       This file
     README.BAT   Batch file to display this file
     PATCH.EXE    The patch utility program
     PATCH.RTP    A file containing all patch data

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

To update your game, copy these files into your
game directory (e.g. C:\SIERRA\SHADOWS), and then from
within that directory, type PATCH and press Enter at the DOS
prompt.  The patch utility will first scan to insure it is
updating the correct files, and then it will automatically
install all modifications, including new files.  This
utility will report its progress, and provide appropriate
messages if any errors are encountered.

ABOUT THIS UPDATE

This game is one of the first of a new generation of Sierra
products based on an exciting new 32-bit architecture.
Version 1.0 was tested extensively prior to its release, in
the same fashion we have successfully tested our earlier
16-bit products.

However, the special requirements of 32-bit software make
advanced products like this more sensitive than previous
16-bit products to specific system configuration related
issues. Thanks to the feedback from initial customers, we
have been able to identify and solve all known system
specific issues.

At the heart of these issues is a third party "DOS extender"
that provides this game with 32-bit access to extended
memory.  Included in this patch is an updated version of
this DOS extender, with fixes for numerous customer reported
problems.  Sierra has tested this version extensively with
this game to insure compatibility and proper operation.

This update also includes other corrections which should
eliminate problems with the sound cards under certain system
configurations.  It also solves the occasional problems
encountered when saving and restoring games in certain
situations.

Game-specific problems that were fixed include:

  * Polygon problems, to include "purge is not a selector for
    glory", have been fixed.
  * Fatal "Assertion Failure" during saving has been fixed.
  * Fatal at the Monk's Tomb has been fixed.
  * Fatal at the Thieves Guild main safe is fixed.
  * Fatal when Restoring from the Burning Gypsy death message
    has been  fixed.
  * Fatal lockup when Ego is caught by Ad Avis has been fixed.
  * Fatal in the swamp, when jumping from hummock to land, has
    been fixed.
  * Saved game size and restore time has been decreased.

Also, many cosmetic changes have been added to help improve the
look and feel of the game. A patch to fix importing problems is
not included with this disk, but is available for downloading
from the Sierra BBS, CompuServe, GEnie and America On-Line.  You
can also request the patch from the Sierra Technical Support
Department.

     Quest for Glory - Shadows of Darkness
          Version 1.0 Release Notes

============================================================
This file contains some additional last minute tips and
information that didn't make it into your game manual. If
you are experiencing any difficulties playing the game,
check this file for anything that may apply.

------------------------------------------------------
A NOTE TO ILLICIT USERS

If you have not purchased your own copy of this game, please
do so.  We have worked extremely hard to produce a game that
we feel is truly worth the purchase price.  If you feel it
is not, you are welcome to take advantage of Sierra's return
policy.

------------------------------------------------------

       TABLE OF CONTENTS

   I  Basic Requirements for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS
   A. DOS Requirements
   B. WINDOWS Requirements

  II  Installation Instructions
   A. DOS Installation
   B. WINDOWS Installation
   C. Running SHADOWS OF DARKNESS
   D. A note about Save games

 III  Sound Card Information
   A. 'I am not getting all the sounds I expect from
      SHADOWS OF DARKNESS!'
   B. Configuration for Sound Blaster and compatible cards
      in DOS
   C. Notes for Pro Audio Spectrum sound cards in DOS
   D. MIDI Sound modules in DOS
   E. Base and Extended level sounds in WINDOWS
   F. Music in WINDOWS: Setting the MIDI MAPPER

  IV  Technical Help
   A. Setting the BRIGHTNESS in the game
   B. ERROR MESSAGE: Byte Can't Be Allocated
   C. ERROR MESSAGE: FATAL-Unable to find Mouse Driver
   D. ERROR MESSAGE: DOS/4GW Professional Fatal Error:
       Loader Failed - Insufficient Memory
   E. Freeing memory in DOS
   F. Freeing memory in Windows
   V  Sierra addresses and phone numbers


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I. Basic Requirements for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS
------------------------------------------------------
A. DOS Requirements

- IBM PC or compatible with a 386 processor or higher
- 4 MB of RAM
- A hard disk with at least 15 MB free space
- A VGA graphics card
- A Mouse or Track ball
- MS-DOS 5.0 OR ABOVE

Supported Sound Devices:
Sound Blaster, Adlib, PAS Plus/PAS 16, Roland MT-32 and
compatible, Microsoft Sound System, General MIDI


B. WINDOWS Requirements

- IBM PC or compatible with a 386 processor or higher
  (We recommend a 486 processor)
- Windows 3.1 running in 386 ENHANCED mode with a 640X480 256
  color VGA display driver installed
- 4 MB of RAM with a Virtual Memory Swap file configured
  for 4 MB
- A hard disk with at least 16 MB free space
- A Mouse or Track ball
- MS-DOS 5.0 OR ABOVE

- All sound cards are supported when the proper manufacturer
  supplied drivers are loaded into Windows

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II. Game Installation
------------------------------------------------------
A. INSTALLING THE GAME FOR DOS

Insert the Disk #1 into your floppy drive and type the drive
letter, example:

A: [ENTER]

At the prompt (A: or B:) type: INSTALL [ENTER]
You can change options or accept default options.

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B. INSTALLING THE GAME FOR WINDOWS

To run in windows you must run the Windows SETUP program.
Start Windows and select "RUN" from the Program Manager.
Example:

B:\SETUP

The Windows install will copy over all the files
that are needed to run the game in Windows.

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C. RUNNING THE GAME

For DOS:

   From the directory in which you have installed
   SHADOWS OF DARKNESS, type: SHADOWS [ENTER]

For Windows:

   Double click on the icon for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS.

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D. A NOTE ABOUT SAVE GAMES

Games saved while playing under DOS cannot be restored under
Windows and vice versa. If you play the game for awhile
under DOS or Windows and then decide to switch to the other,
you must restart from the beginning. If you do not know
which one you prefer, we recommend playing the game under
DOS.

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III. Sound Card Information
------------------------------------------------------
A. No sounds or reduced sounds

There are several possible causes of this problem.  Our
INSTALL program will usually select the proper sound
configuration for your system but it will occasionally
confuse a 16 bit sound card with a Roland MIDI device.  Run
the INSTALL program and make sure that SHADOWS OF DARKNESS
is set to use the appropriate sound hardware that is
installed on your system.

The volume levels of some of the more recent sound cards are
adjusted using a software 'mixer' program.   Some software
applications will actually change these level without
returning them to their original setting.  If your are not
able to hear all of the sound effects in SHADOWS OF
DARKNESS, you may want to run the mixer program for your
sound card to make sure that all of the volume settings are
at a comfortable level.

If you are using a BOOT disk to start SHADOWS OF DARKNESS,
you may need to add a sound driver to the CONFIG.SYS on your
BOOT disk.   The CONFIG.SYS on your C: driver should contain
the proper command to load your sound driver but your sound
card manual will give you full instructions on setting up
your sound card's driver.

------------------------------------------------------
B. SOUND BLASTER/THUNDERBOARD INTERRUPT SETTING IN DOS

Each time you start the game, it scans your hardware to
determine the proper interrupt configuration for your sound
card.  Depending on your system configuration, and the other
devices installed, this process may not always be
successful.  The result is distorted or missing digital
audio sounds, very slow game speed, or game lockups.  This
is most likely to happen when using a mouse connected via a
bus interface.

If you experience any of these symptoms, you can explicitly
set the sound card interrupt using the BLASTER environment
variable.  The Sound Blaster and Thunderboard drivers will
first look for the interrupt setting in the BLASTER
environment variable, and only attempt the autodetection if
it is not found.

The BLASTER environment variable is usually defined via a
SET command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  It should look
something like this:

   SET BLASTER=A220 D1 I7

This specifies the I/O address, DMA channel, and interrupt
line for your sound card, and is used by many products to
determine this information.

You can determine the setting of all your environment
variables by typing SET at the DOS prompt.  You can display
the current value of the BLASTER variable by typing ECHO
BLASTER at the DOS prompt.

If you already have a BLASTER environment variable set, make
sure the values correspond to the actual hardware
configuration of the card.  Refer to the card's reference
documentation for more information.

If you do not currently have a BLASTER environment variable,
you should set one according to your sound card's
configuration.  The only value required by Sierra games is
the interrupt line.  If your sound card is configured for
interrupt 7, the following command will insure that this
game will properly determine your sound card configuration
at startup:

     SET BLASTER=I7

This command should be added to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so it
will run each time your computer is started.  Refer to your
computer's documentation for more information on the SET
command, environment variables, and the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

------------------------------------------------------
C. PRO AUDIO SPECTRUM USERS IN DOS

If you are using a Pro Audio Spectrum 16 or Plus card and
experience problems during the game, re-run the INSTALL
utility from the game directory and select "Sound Blaster"
as your audio device.

Selecting Sound Blaster will utilize the PAS card's built-in
Sound Blaster emulation for digitized audio effects.

If you are using a Pro Audio Spectrum Plus sound card, you
will want to run the 'SB_ON' program before you start
SHADOWS OF DARKNESS. You should do this each time you play
the game to ensure that you are getting the best possible
sound.

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D. MIDI SOUND MODULES WITH THE DOS VERSION

The DOS installation program for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS will
automatically default to General MIDI for Music if you have
an MPU-401 adapter card in your system.  This is fine as
long as you really have a General MIDI device. However, if
your sound module is not General MIDI compatible, the music
will not sound right.

If you have a Roland MT-32, LAPC-1, CM-32, or CM-64, you
should choose the MT-32 Music option.

Roland Sound Canvas, Roland SCC-1, Roland RAP-10, Yamaha T3
or any other compatible General MIDI device owners should be
fine with the default General MIDI option.

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E. WINDOWS SOUND: Base or Extended levels

The Windows install will ask you if you want to install for
BASE or EXTENDED level sound.

BASE level sound runs on channels 13 through 16 and is used
for sound cards like Sound Blaster, Pro Audio Spectrum,
Adlib, or any FM Yamaha 3812 type card.

EXTENDED level sound runs on channels 1 through 10 and is
used for cards like the LAPC-I, MT-32, SCC-1, Sound Canvas,
Turtle Beach MultiSound, or any General MIDI device.


------------------------------------------------------
F. MUSIC SUPPORT IN WINDOWS: SETTING UP THE MIDI MAPPER

If you are not getting all the sounds that you are expecting
through your Windows program, it may be because the MIDI
Mapper is not setup for your sound card.  The MIDI Mapper
program is located in the Window's Control Panel which is
located in the group "Main." The MIDI Mapper provides
filtering and changing of musical events to allow music to
sound similar on all hardware.

NOTE: If you have not installed the Windows drivers for your
sound card, you will not see a MIDI Mapper icon. Refer to
the instructions from the card manufacturer to properly
install the card and Windows drivers.

If none of the MIDI Mapper's available selections work
properly with your sound card, you may want to create a new
MIDI Mapper selection. You can create a new MIDI setup by
selecting the "Setups" radio button then click on the "New"
button. You will be presented with a new window: Enter
"SHADOWS" for the Name and "SHADOWS OF DARKNESS MIDI" for
the Description of this new MIDI setup.

You will then be presented with a rather ominous looking
screen with lots of options.  You will want to click on the
field for channel 13 in the column Port Name. Click on the
down arrow in this column to bring up a list that contains
names of sound devices. Try using Adlib if it is available.
If it is not, try one of the others that include 'FM' or
'VOYETRA' in the description.  You may want to refer to your
sound card documentation to be sure that you are using the
correct driver.

Repeat the same steps for channels 14 through 16. When you
are finished, click on "OK" and indicate that you wish to
save this new setup.  If your game sounds are still missing
or they sound 'funny', try editing the MIDI setup you have
just created by using the MIDI Mapper's edit screen and
select a different driver for sound.

If the music does not sound optimal when playing SHADOWS OF
DARKNESS through Windows, you may want to consider running
the game in DOS.  This decision will depend on what kind of
sound device you have.  If you have one of the Base Level
sound cards listed elsewhere in this README file, you should
run the game in DOS for the best possible music.  If you
have an Extended Level sound device, then you can enjoy
optimal music in Windows or in DOS.

------------------------------------------------------
IV.  Trouble Shooting and Technical help
-----------------------------------------------------

A. SETTING MONITOR BRIGHTNESS LEVEL

On some monitors, you may find the video brightness to be a
little too dark for your tastes. If this is not due to the
brightness control setting on your monitor being set too
low, or you do not wish to change this setting, it is
possible to change the default brightness setting in the
game configuration file. To change this setting, edit the
file 'RESOURCE.CFG' in the game directory using any text
file editor, such as the DOS EDIT program (just type EDIT at
the DOS prompt). Go to the line that says 'brightness = 0',
change the 0 to a 1 and save the file to the game directory.
If this is still too dark for you, try 2, 3 or even 4 for an
extreme increase in brightness.

------------------------------------------------------
B. BYTES CAN'T BE ALLOCATED

If you are receiving the message:

"x NUMBER OF BYTES CAN'T BE ALLOCATED"

To correct this problem, edit the file 'RESOURCE.CFG' in the
game directory using any text file editor, such as the DOS
EDIT program (just type EDIT at the DOS prompt). At the end
of the file,  add the line 'STATICMEMORY = 250K'.  The
default for this setting is 200K so if 250K doesn't do the
trick, increase it again.

------------------------------------------------------
C.  FATAL - Unable to find Mouse driver

This message indicates that the program could not
communicate with your mouse.   Under normal circumstance, a
software driver is loaded into memory so that application
programs can communicate with the mouse hardware.  Your
mouse may already work in WINDOWS (WINDOWS has a built-in
mouse driver), but your DOS programs require that a driver
is loaded into memory.

You can locate further information on your mouse driver
either in the documentation that came with your Mouse or in
the manual Boot Disk instructions in section E. that
follows.

------------------------------------------------------
D. DOS/4GW Professional Fatal Error: Loader Failed -
   Insufficient Memory.

This message will occur when you do not have enough EXTENDED
memory available for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS.  What you may need
to try is a DOS Boot disk.  This will make sure that your
computer's memory is clear of any extra programs that could
be taking up that extra memory that SHADOWS OF DARKNESS
needs.

Try the "Make Bootable Floppy" option from the INSTALL
program to create a new startup disk for SHADOWS OF
DARKNESS.

------------------------------------------------------
E. FREEING UP MEMORY IN DOS

SIERRA ON-LINE MANUAL BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS

The following instructions can be used if the automatic boot
disk maker included in the install program does not function
properly on your system. If you have the CD-ROM version of
this program, or you are using certain hard drive
compression utilities, you will need to add any necessary
driver lines to your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.

1) FORMATTING THE DISK

PLEASE NOTE: It is necessary to format the disk even if the
disk is already formatted.  The /S switch will transfer
files to the boot disk which are necessary for the disk to
work correctly.

To make a Boot Disk, format a high density diskette in the
A: drive. (Use /F:360 or  /F:720 parameter if using a low
density diskette) Note: This will work ONLY from the A: drive.
Type the command as follows:

   FORMAT  A:/S  <Enter>

If after entering this command the system responds with a
"Bad command or file name" error, then type:

   PATH=C:\DOS  <ENTER>

Now retype the FORMAT command above.  If you still receive
the same error, the MS DOS FORMAT command may not be on your
system or it may have been renamed.  Programs such as PC
Tools and Norton Disk Utilities can rename the format
command to prevent accidental loss of data.

2) LOCATING THE MOUSE DRIVERS

If you plan to use a mouse with your game, it will be
necessary to first load the mouse driver.  To do this,
locate the mouse driver and copy it to the boot disk in your
A: drive.  There are two types of mouse drivers available,
MOUSE.SYS, which must be loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file and
MOUSE.COM which must be loaded in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You
do not need to load both MOUSE.SYS and MOUSE.COM. Locate the
MOUSE.SYS or MOUSE.COM file.  Because the file MOUSE.SYS is
usually smaller than MOUSE.COM we recommend that the
MOUSE.SYS file be used in order to free more memory.

If you do not know where the MOUSE.SYS or MOUSE.COM files
are located on your system, and you have MS-DOS 5.0 or
above, the command below should help in locating your mouse
drivers. Type the following at the C:\> prompt.

       DIR  \MOUSE  /S  <ENTER>

This command only works with MS-DOS 5.0 or above and will
cause the system to search all sub directories for a file
called mouse.  If the system locates a file called mouse, it
will display the path where the mouse files are located.
For instance, if the MOUSE.SYS file is located in a
C:\MOUSE> directory, the system will display:

Directory of C:\MOUSE
   MOUSE    SYS     55160 03-10-92   3:10a
   MOUSE    COM     56408 03-10-93   6:00a

If the system does not locate a mouse, your driver may have
a different name or these files may not be currently
installed on the system.  Some other common names for mouse
drivers are IMOUSE, GMOUSE, and HPMOUSE.  Your mouse drivers
may have been included on a floppy disk which came packaged
along with your mouse.  For information on the proper name
for your mouse, check the owner's manual which came with
your mouse.

3) Copying the mouse driver to your BOOT DISK:

Once you have located the mouse driver, you will need to
copy it to the boot disk.  In this step, we will assume that
the mouse drivers were located in the C:\MOUSE> directory as
shown in the step above.  To copy the MOUSE.SYS file to the
boot disk, type the following at the C:\> prompt:

   COPY  C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.*  A:  <ENTER>

Please substitute the appropriate path and file name for
your mouse driver in the command line above.  You should
then see a message indicating some files were copied.

4) CREATING THE CONFIG.SYS FILE

Now switch to the A: and type the following:

   COPY  CON  CONFIG.SYS <Enter>
   (The cursor will drop down one line and blink)

   FILES=50  <Enter>
   BUFFERS=30 <Enter>

If you are using the MOUSE.SYS file to load your mouse, add
the following line to the CONFIG.SYS.

   DEVICE=MOUSE.SYS  <Enter>

Complete the file by pressing the  F6  Function key <Enter>

5) CREATING THE AUTOEXEC.BAT FILE

Now create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the A: drive by typing:

   COPY  CON  AUTOEXEC.BAT   <Enter>
       (the cursor will drop down one line and blink)

   SET  COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM  <Enter>
   PROMPT  $P$G  <Enter>
   PATH=C:\DOS <Enter>

If you are using the MOUSE.COM file to load the mouse, add
the following line to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

   MOUSE.COM  <Enter>

Complete the file by pressing the  F6  Function key <Enter>

Now you are ready to use your new Sierra Boot Disk.  Place
the boot disk in your A: drive and press the <CTRL> <ALT>
and <DEL> keys at the same time. Your computer will reboot
and you will be ready to start your Sierra game as you
normally would.

------------------------------------------------------
F. FREEING MEMORY IN WINDOWS

The Windows memory managers will use memory differently that
the standard DOS memory managers.  The problem that you are
experiencing is related to the amount of available working
memory within Windows.  You can check the available memory
in Windows from the PROGRAM manager by selecting 'HELP' and
then 'ABOUT PROGRAM MANAGER'.  The second line from the
bottom of the Window will be the amount of free memory in
Windows.

The best way to solve the memory problem is to direct
Windows to use a Virtual Memory swap file. Both your Windows
manual and the HELP section in the CONTROL PANEL will give
you a complete explanation of Virtual Memory and its
configuration.

-----------------------------------------------------
V.  SIERRA ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS

1) Ordering games

If you are interested in future adventure games or any other
of the Sierra family of fine software products, call us at
[phone] [or [phone] outside the United States].


2) TECHNICAL HELP

Please refer to the technical help section in your Sierra
game manual.

If you still have a problem, call or fax Sierra Technical
Support:

   Tel:  [phone]
   Fax:  [phone]
   Mail: (See address in Sierra Game Manual)

In the U.K. call or fax our Sierra Technical Support
Department:

   Tel:[phone]
   Fax:[phone]
   Mail: (See address in Sierra Game Manual)

Sierra's Automated "800" Technical Support Line [phone]

You can also reach the Technical Support Department on the
following services:

   Sierra BBS......[phone] (Settings 8,N,1 & up to 9600 bps)
   CompuServe......GAMAPUB (Technical Support ID 76004,2143)
   PRODIGY.........Technical Support ID WBWW55A
   GEnie...........Private E-Mail SIERRA.SUP
   America Online..Keyword: SIERRA

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